Modified OPOL
When still in Chicago, a friend asked what we're going to do with Joseph's English. I said we're going to stick to our One-Parent-One-Language system (OPOL) we've been using since forever, and let English find its own way to survive. However, once in Munich, Joseph speaks English to us more than ever. We didn't realize and kept ( Read more... )

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Progress in Languages (Part 1)

I'm getting used to people stare or give comments on our family's trilingualism. Most are friendly and just ask how we manage to do it, while some feel uncomfortable hearing us interchangeably speak in three languages.

From my observations, those who feel unease are mostly monolinguals or the ones raising kids ( Read more... )

Louise is going to turn nine-months-old in two days. She babbles 'tataaaaa' 'kekekeee' 'mammaammmm' and screams whenever her brother tries to snatch a toy out of her hands. We begin to sign with her, so far she understands the sign 'bye' and 'drink', and from time to time returns signing 'bye'.

We did the same thing to Joseph. I began signing with ( Read more... )

Last night,  Joseph said something funny. He was at the computer with me looking for some toys at Amazon. When a picture of Dora the Explorer showed up on the screen, Jo pointed out his finger and said, "Regardez ....doRRa!!' with a perfect French 'r'. He repeated the name with American accent, 'doWRa', with a slight 'r' lisp. Later he said it ( Read more... )

My friend and I talked about what languages we use whenever the three of us are together.


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Both kids are playing on the baby gym *Jo age 3.6 yo, Lu age 2 mo*

Jo    :      Qu'est-ce que tu fais, Louise? qu'est-ce que tu fais? (what are you doing?)
Lu   :       Coooo ..... cooooo...
Jo   :        Louise tidak ketawa, mama (Louise is not laughing)
Lu:          Arggghhh....arrrghhhh...
Jo:          This is your head, Louise ... this is your head ( Read more... )

As I wrote in my previous post, it's wonderful to listen to Jo talking when I have time. However, with the little sister around it's impossible for me to pay attention as much as before and this turns Joseph into a nagging preschooler. Whenever I'm taking care of Louise, he talks even more and acts even weirder such as asking the same questions, ( Read more... )

It's always a pleasure to hear Joseph talks *except when when he keeps bugging me to reply while I'm busy with something!*. It's kind of cute to listen to errors he makes and funny sentences he utters. Below are things that I remember.

1. Indonesian
a. He still confuses passive and active voices.  Ex. He says: Aku mau ditutup botol *I want to be ( Read more... )

Illinois has been covered by heavy snow for nearly 3 weeks.  Luckily the sun shines almost everyday although the single digit temperature is not friendly at all . With the weather and my belly growing larger *I'm on my 34th week*, it's not so tempting for me to bring Joseph outside.  Soo .. here I am .. stuck with a full-of-energy preschooler ( Read more... )